Mothers can feel like life is one never-ending loop. Just when one problem or responsibility is overcome, another one trips us up. But help is on the way: Barbara Reich has all the strategies for staying ahead of the curve—and she’s wrapped them up into four easy steps that can be applied to any organizing project: purge, design, organize, and maintain.

The keys to Barbara’s success are simplicity and consistency. Room by room, she goes through the most problematic areas in the home—from the tornado-struck play area to the packed basement or storage unit—and approaches organizing in manageable bites. In addition to cleaning and organizing tips, she talks about how to avoid social overload, preaching the power of “No”—for example, when your child wants to attend six birthday parties in one weekend. As the mother of thirteen-year-old twins, Barbara offers insight into the lives of crazed moms as only a mother could.

Combining the humor of a sympathetic friend and the no-nonsense advice of a true type-A personality, Reich offers clever, appealing solutions that are genuinely achievable for everyone. less